His Proposal

His Proposal - 31

Nate is standing in the living room. He looks at us. "Are you ready to go to my football game?"

Aleysa looks at Nate and she pulls off her jumper. "I'm ready, Big Brother."

He looks at Jai and I. "I'm ready."

"Me too." Jai rises and he takes my hand. We're going to sit close to the front and we're going to cheer you on, man."

Nate smiles. "Thank you. It means so much that you're going to do that with my family."

Jai smiles. "I like Chloe. So, I would do anything that makes her happy. I know she's missed a lot of your games over the years, but now she's here. I won't be surprised that by the end of the night she will lose her voice." He looks at us. "We should go. I don't want Nate to be late for the game." He takes his keys off the rack. "I'm driving."

Aleysa, Nate, Jai and I walk out of the apartment. I lock the door and Aleysa waits for me next to the stairs.

She takes my hand. "Chloe," I turn towards her. "I'm happy that you met Jai. He seems good for you. How do you feel about him?"

Stopping on the stairs I watch him talk to Nate. I smile. "I like him a lot, Aleysa. He's the type of man that I wished that I found in New York, but it was luck that brought us together."

She laughs. "I thought it was your persistence to get a job to pay for my medical bills that led you to Jai Marshall."

Laughing, I say. "Alright, it was."

Aleysa takes my hand and we walk to the car. She climbs into the backseat and buckles her belt.

Climbing into the front passenger seat I place my hand in Jai's.

He smiles. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes,"

He pulls out of the parking lot and drives to the high school.

At the school, Aleysa looks at the building. "I wish I could go here."

Pulling her into my arms. "You will go here, Aleysa." I look around the yard and find the tree I used to spend time under. I point to it. "You see that tree. I used to spend my lunch under it with my friends. The table across the tree was where the Popular Guys hung out. My friends dated a number of guys from the football team. I dated one guy from the football team, but he turned out to be a cruel person." I look towards Jai and he's talking to Nate and a few guys from the football team. "By the front door, I had my first kiss, when I was a Freshman."

"What's your memory of the football field?"

Holding her hand. "I will tell you when we get there. I want to get the best spot on the sideline where we can see all the action." Aleysa and I walk to the football field.

We take a seat in the front row on the middle. I put my handbag and jumper on the seat next to mine. "Under the football field stand, I found one of my boyfriends making out with a cheerleader. She knew I was going out with him, apparently, they were seeing each other behind my back. I got the last laugh when the said cheerleader got pregnant with the Ex. I dodged a bullet with that one. On the football field was where Josiah asked me to prom in front of the entire school during a football game."

Jai sits next to me. "I hope you're not in contact with that guy."

Shaking my head. "No, I hadn't spoken to him since the prom date went horribly wrong. He used me to get back at his girlfriend. That night I won Prom Queen, but that was a stunt created by the popular kids. They dropped a bucket of red paint on the stage, but I wasn't standing under it like they hoped and they knocked out my date instead." I start to laugh. "He was covered in paint and rushed to hospital when he fell off the stage. Karma bit them in the arse that night."

Jai holds my hand. "I'm glad that you didn't get injured that night. How was the rest of the school year?"

"I graduated early and went to University as I got early acceptance. I don't know what happened after I left."

Jai looks around the school. "I hate this place."

I laugh. "It wasn't so bad." I turn my attention back to the field and I see Nate run onto the field with his teammates. They throw the ball to each other.

Aleysa looks at me. "Can you see, Nate?"

"Yeah, he's standing under the post."

"Nate," she yells.

He looks at her and waves.

A ball is thrown at his head and he catches it before it could hurt him.

"I'm cold," Aleysa says.

Taking my jumper off I give it to her.

She puts the jumper on. "Thanks, sis."

Leaning against Jai. "I should have brought more clothes for her."

Jai looks at Aleysa. "I have a blanket in the car. I will get it for her. I might have a jacket in there too."

He rises. "I will be right back."

Watching him walk toward the gate. I hear a few whistles and he shakes his head.

At least he's not letting that go to his head.

Jai returns a few minutes later with a blanket and leather jacket. He gives the blanket to Aleysa and she puts it over herself. He gives me his leather jacket.

Putting my arms into the jacket I zip it up.

Jai whispers. "You look great in the jacket. I hope someday I get to see you with nothing but the jacket on." He licks his lips.

Aleysa starts coughing and we look at her. She smiles. "People around you don't want to hear what you two are talking about." She looks at Jai. "You may be whispering, but it was loud enough for a few of us to hear."

Jai's face turns to red. He looks around at the people close to us. "Sorry, if you heard what I said to my girlfriend. I thought I was being quiet."

Aleysa laughs. "No one heard a thing. I just wanted to see what would embarrass you." She stops laughing as something captures her attention. She hits my leg. "Someone tipped off the paparazzi." She points in the direction of them.

Jai looks at the gate. "Oh, no." His face pales. "They weren't supposed to find out about you until tomorrow. My parents aren't going to be happy that I didn't introduce you to them before the circus found out."

Aleysa looks at him. "You can leave us here for a bit and return when they leave."

Jai shakes his head. "I won't break my promise to Nate. I'm going to stay until the end."